


That Old Black Magic : A Where There's Smoke There's Fire Mystery

by Lizzyc807



Series: Where There's Smoke There's Fire Mysteries [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, cs ff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-04
Updated: 2017-03-29
Packaged: 2018-09-28 08:49:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10082132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lizzyc807/pseuds/Lizzyc807
Summary: Killian Jones and Emma Swan didn’t meet under the usual circumstances but they had an immediate spark that ignited into a fiery relationship. Their complimentary life styles create the perfect partnership at both home and work. Can she and Killian keep up their lucky streak while navigating through the dangerous lives they lead? Find out in this Where There’s Smoke There’s Fire Mystery.





	1. Prologue-Ch1 : Poof

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hello Lovely Readers! I’m so excited to share the second story in the Where There’s Smoke There’s Fire AU! It’s a new Mystery with lots of familiar faces that I hope you enjoy reading. There are 10 in between scenes between the end of story 1 and the new story, including Baby Time for the Nolans! Thank you to all of you who are following this story and I welcome your questions and comments.

_Prologue_

It’d been several months since they put the arsonists who were terrorizing Storybrooke behind bars.  The town was finally beginning to rebuild after the fires. Belle and Lacey were the last to sell their property to Gold at the lake front.

Belle’s guilt won out and due to Lacey’s criminal activity her claims and wishes were relinquished to her sister. With no obstacles in his path Gold began working on the new lake front towers. He promised Belle a nice condominium in exchange for signing the papers of course.

The sad part was that she knew that Belle still loved Gold in spite of everything that’d happened. She watched the way Gold looked at Belle when he came to the station to give his statement. It was clear that the man still loved her as well, at least he was trying to do something right by her, or so it seemed.

She still had that nagging suspicion that Gold had a hand in the fires. She overheard the Miere brothers fighting. Gaston wanted to speak out about how they’d chosen which of Gold’s buildings to target. Lou was strongly against it. When she turned the corner both men quieted. 

There was also the fact that Gold owned the construction companies responsible for the rebuild too. He’d be getting fat checks from the insurance company to cover the rebuild and then re-pocketing the money when he used his own crews.

Killian agreed with her on this front but without actual proof of a conversation between Gold and those men there was nothing to pin this on him.  The only other possible witness was Felix and he was no longer available thanks to Lacey so they had to let it go for now. She would keep her eyes open because if he was behind it or up to something she would be paying attention this time.

Killian continued working with David to examine the bomb sites. She made him promise to let her know if he found anything that corresponded to their suspicions. They had to collect as much evidence as possible to build the case against Lacey and the Mieres.

Belle tried to reason with Lacey but she’d refused to see her. She felt that Belle was one of the strongest people she’d ever met. Even after her sister tried to kill her she still tried to help her. Belle once spoke to her about how close she used to be with Lacey.

She felt sorry for Belle to lose a sister. She’d never had any siblings to lose and it made her appreciate David and Mary Margaret that much more.

Mary Margaret and David were ecstatically happy as new parents. She was also glad she found them again so she could both witness it and be a part of their budding family. Their little boy had the cutest dimples and a tuft of blonde curls. The adorableness distracted them from the fact that he didn’t let his parents sleep through the night. Luckily Mary Margaret had some extra time off work she could use until their little prince finally got on a good sleep schedule. 

While Killian was occupied with David and continuing his job as a fireman, she had been working freelance as an investigator for the state police department. Elsa had recommended her services to help with some of their larger crimes. She’d been gathering evidence, disposing witnesses, tracking suspects for them and she continued tracing skips for herself as she could.

She felt good about the work she was doing. She actually felt like she was making a difference in the town, it could also be that she had quite the support system behind her. She and Killian were doing amazing.

Each day when she woke up and went to bed next to Killian she couldn’t be happier. She’d never slept as well as she did while she was wrapped in his arms, tucked against him.

They found a rhythm and routine that worked for them. They ran every morning as he used to with a very rewarding shower together after.

They made breakfast and dinner together when they could. Killian was a much better cook than she was so most of the time she helped cut vegetables, prepared ingredients or uncorked wine while he did the actual cooking.

Most of their nights were relaxing too over the past few months. They added a trip to the gun range to their routine one night a week to keep in practice. After the recent events David thought it was a good idea to join them too. They had a friendly competition going between them, so far Killian was winning. She noticed David’s competitive side coming out again. She hadn’t seen that since the academy. It was refreshing to think that her life was going so well but she knew that the bad comes with the good so she never let her guard down.

She found that to be a good thing because in a town where she lived, there was never a dull moment.

 

 

Ch. 1

She’d kissed Killian goodbye early in the morning. She was usually still in a dream state when he left but she always remembered his sweet lips touching her cheek and the soft whisper of I love you in her ear. She had a lunch date with Mary Margaret and Little David planned so she was just going to run light errands and research the rest of the day. Everything started out so well. She’d gotten her favorite bear claw fresh out of the oven and her coffee was the perfect temperature.

She’d made it to the post office and from what she saw should be a quick in an out based on the short line. As she stood waiting her turn. She sipped on her coffee and looked down at her package once more to make sure the quick fix label was still affixed. She stood 4th in line behind an older gentleman who appeared to have a single letter in hand but also had the appearance of someone who wasn’t in much of a hurry.

She looked up at the clock on the wall and then back to the line. She had a bit of time before her lunch with Mary Margaret but she hoped she wouldn’t have to waste all her extra time waiting here. She decided to practice her favorite past time, people watching. It kept her mind sharp when looking for skips.

She looked to the front of the line and a stylish older woman appeared to be purchasing every type of insurance offered for her multicolored package. The second man in line was still packaging his item. She watched him pull a package of bubble wrap from the wall and hurriedly wrap a mini-laptop computer in it.  Then he quickly stuffed the cable into the back of the box along with a wad of more bubble wrap before taping it shut.

She noticed the freshly inked tattoos on his bare arms that were much darker than the faded ones that seemed to have been a mistake at one point in his life. She couldn’t make out the words but they appeared to be an inspirational quote.

His tan cotton overalls hung down low around his hips hanging over a belt. She surmised he must be in some type of construction. He was also wearing a pair of sports sandals over black socks. The older woman finally finished her business and the older man in front of her quickly moved to the front of the line bypassing the younger man who also seemed to have finally finished his package.

The younger man stepped forward in front of her to await his turn. He had the craziest red hair she’d ever seen, although somewhat familiar. The older man completed his business as she kept trying to make out the words on his tattoos. Up until this point she’d only seen the back of his head. She watched him approach the counter only a few feet in front of her.

He handed the package over to the woman and she diligently waited on him. It struck her odd though when the attendant asked him what was in the box and he declared Honey. She’d just seen him package up a mini laptop and there was no honey to be seen. At that moment her sixth sense seemed to be tingling.  She watched the attendant handle the transaction and when he turned she finally caught a glimpse of him.

Her eyebrow rose as he definitely looked familiar when she finally put the face and hair together. She quickly started thinking about the photos she’d reviewed that morning scanning for the match in her memory. She would need to check the sheets in her car to be sure but he certainly had the mannerisms of a man on the run, and the face and hair looked familiar.

 She looked down at her package and decided it could wait. Her completely normal day just got interesting.  She quickly ducked out of the post office and looked to see if she could catch up with the potential skip. She saw him duck into a little hatch back a few cars up from her own.

She hopped into her car and waited until the guy pulled out onto the road before she started to follow. Her skip stack was sitting on the seat next to her. She was 3 cars back from the guy sitting at a red light. She picked up the stack and started leafing through them to look for the perp. She smiled when she saw his smug face 4th in the stack. Seamus Macintosh, he skipped out on his hearing 6 months back. The description listed his visible tattoos, which she’d already seen close up. He was new in her stack so this must be her lucky day.

She slid the stack back onto the passenger seat and moved along with the traffic, carefully keeping an eye on the perp. He turned into the parking lot of The Black Sheep Pub. This was not exactly the kind of establishment Killian would approve of her hanging out. It had a sullied reputation for the number of times the windows had to be replaced due to bodies flying out during fights.  She parked in the lot next to it where the dry cleaner and pizza place were located to feign off suspicion. She watched as he eagerly greeted a group of hooligans in front catching a smoke.

Now that he had friends, he might not be so easy to tag.  She looked at the time and realized she was going to miss lunch with Mary Margaret and the baby if she stayed. She picked up his perp sheet and reviewed the details. He was definitely not someone she’d want to see walking the streets. He had a history of violence and assault charges.

She sent her friend a quick message feeling too chicken to call her at that moment, mostly because she knew Mary Margaret would try to make her talk to the infant and damn if that little guy didn’t pull at her heart strings.

_Emma: Hi, A situation has suddenly come up and I’m going to have to take a rain check with you for lunch today._

_Mary Margaret: Oh no, really? I hope it’s not too serious. You’ll be safe right?_

She laughed. _Emma: Of course I’ll be safe. He’s a nasty one. If I don’t bring him in he may not be so easy to catch later. Give the little prince a kiss from me. I’ll see you both soon._

_Mary Margaret: Of course I will and I’ll hold you to it._

She slid her phone back into her inside coat pocket and repositioned her car after the group went inside the pub so she could see him if he exited. Her best bet was to catch him when he came out since he seemed to be surrounded by trouble. She was thankful she’d grabbed a bear claw before she went to the post office. She was going to save herself for lunch but her stomach was already grumbling and she wasn’t sure how long she’d be waiting.

She smiled when she thought of little David’s toothless grin. He had the blended looks of both his parents so how could he not be adorable. He was also such a happy baby. She would definitely make time to see them. He was growing so fast.

She also had to admit she loved seeing Killian hold him. He would make a great father one day, not that she thought about that too much, or would admit to it. She took a big bite of the cinnamon delight and sighed. “MMMMM, why are you so delicious.”

She quickly put the pastry back into the bag on the seat next to her when Seamus appeared again. He was yelling back into the bar and moving towards the little ashtray posted on the side of the building. He appeared annoyed, there were very few locations in town where a person could smoke inside anymore.

She decided that while he was alone this might be her chance and maybe she’d get to see those little drooling dimples after all.  She put the car in drive and quickly moved from one parking lot to the other, parking on the side of the building opposite where Seamus was catching a smoke.

She checked her gun and made sure her cuffs were accessible before quietly exiting her car. She kept an eye on Seamus to be sure he didn’t slip back inside. He was kicking dirt on the ground in front of him and intently talking on the phone when she approached.

She was just about to cuff him when he looked up with a surprised grin. She acted quickly and him pressed against the side of the brick building. He pushed hard back against her and tried to head butt her but she ducked, managing to get the cuff on one arm. As he continued to struggle she used the new move Killian taught her to subdue him until she could get the cuffs locked.

“You can’t arrest me.” Spat Seamus.

He tried to pull away and run but she pushed him to the ground with a thud.  He was really strong and she had to kneel into his back to hold him down as she called into the police. “I have a perp here, Seamus MacIntosh. We’re here in front of The Black Sheep, hurry would you please?” 

Seamus struggled beneath her. “Bitch you’re going to pay for this.”

She grinned as she heard the sirens. They weren’t too far from the station house. “I think you’ll be locked up for a long time Seamus. You probably should have thought before you skipped out.” she asked.

“I don’t need to be outside to have you taken care of.” he seethed.

Seamus grunted as she pushed down harder holding him in place. She turned to see the black and white car drive into the lot and pull up in front of her. A familiar face was driving, Humbert. “Hello Beautiful. I should have known it was you.”

She rolled her eyes. Same old Humbert. “Well, it seems it was my lucky day. Can’t say the same for Seamus here.” She grinned as she swiped the dirt from her hands.

Humbert’s new rookie partner, Officer Darling pulled Seamus up from the ground and put him into the back of the squad car. “Bye Seamus.” She waved.

“Don’t worry bitch, when I tell the guys about you, I don’t think you’ll be smiling.” Grumbled Seamus.

“Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard that before.” She said shaking her head.

Humbert stood in front of her, arms crossed giving her the once over. “How’s the fireman doing?”

“You know his name is Killian and he’s great.”

Humbert let out a sigh. “You know where to find me if you need me.”

“Officer Humbert, the prisoner is secure.” Said Officer Darling.

“Good work. Let’s get back to the station. See you later Swan.” Grinned Humbert.

“Please let Belle know I’ll be coming.”

“Of course. If I were you I’d get out of here now.” He said as he peeled out of the parking lot.

Emma shook her head. Why did he always feel he had to show off , but he had a point. As she turned towards her car she noticed they’d had an audience watching everything that just happened. She didn’t take Seamus’s threats lightly. These guys all seemed to love their revenge. 

She slipped into her car, picked up her phone and called Mary Margaret. “Hey, it’s Emma. I’m going to make it after all. I’m coming now.” Her friend sounded delighted at the news. She picked up Seamus’s perp sheet, marked it and slipped it into her bag before taking off.

When she got to Mary Margaret’s she carefully knocked, just in case the little guy was asleep. The door opened immediately. Mary Margaret looked a little tired but little David was wide awake, chewing on his teething ring.

She leaned in and hugged them both, pressing a small kiss on his little dimpled cheek. “How are you?” she asked.

Mary Margaret sighed and smiled as she looked at the little bundle. “Tired. I hope you don’t mind sandwiches.”

She slipped out of her jacket and placed it on the chair. “Love them. How can I help?”

“I bought them from the sub shop down the street. They delivered. Everything is ready. I’m so glad you could make it.”

“We could have rescheduled. You didn’t have to go to that trouble.”

“Emma, seriously? You almost rescheduled today and I’ve missed you so it was no fuss at all. I’m happy to have you here. So is David.”

She couldn’t help but look at the little gurgling baby on Mary Margaret’s hip. “Want me to take him from you?” she hoped.

Her friend smiled. “Sure, that would be great. He’s all smiles right now but that wasn’t the case earlier. I think he’s cutting a tooth.”

“Well, Hello little guy. Are your teeth hurting you? I’m so sorry.” She said melodically.

He looked up to see her smiling at him and then over to his mom. He was looking back and forth between the pair. She suspected he was trying to determine if it was ok that she was holding him. She decided to stay close to Mary Margaret just in case.

“How’s David?”

Mary Margaret placed the dishes on the table and unpacked the delivery bag. “He’s great. Thankfully not too many fires lately. That means that he’s been able to help me with this little man.”

“Yes, tell me about it. I’m getting spoiled by how much I have actually seen Killian these past few weeks. I’m also happy that it means there have been very few fires.” 

“The construction rebuilds in town seem to be going well, except for the way they block traffic.” Said Mary Margaret.

“Yeah, looks like Gold’s business is doing better than ever.” Said Emma.

Mary Margaret shook her head. “You still think he had something to do with the fires don’t you?”

“You know I do. If I could just prove it.” Said Emma as she bounced little David on her hip.

Mary Margaret set the table and turned to face her friend. “Just let it go Emma. That man is dangerous and I have a feeling that as long as he’s building we won’t see any fires.”

“I know you’re right and I promised Killian and David I would not pursue this, for now anyway.”

“Good.”

 

Emma rubbed David’s chubby little foot as she watched him survey the room. He had one eye on his mother as she fluttered about in the kitchen. “Has he been letting you get any sleep? I remember how he was when he first came home.”

Mary Margaret came up close and kissed her little baby on the head. “Yes, I’ve actually gotten a few good night’s rest this past week, although I suspect these teeth might cause us some trouble again.”

“You let your mommy sleep little man. “she said playfully as she booped his little nose. He looked at her and gurgled as he gummed his ring.

“Here, let me put him into his seat so that we can eat.”

She carefully handed him over to his mother and sat in the chair next to his, opposite Mary Margaret.” This looks great. You say sandwiches and put out a spread like this. I don’t know what you have to apologize for.”

Mary Margaret laughed. “I just prefer to cook, you know.”

She nodded. “This is fantastic, more than I would have had time for usually. Besides I’m here for the company, not the food. You could always just ask me to pick up food too you know. I’m happy to have lunch with you anytime.”

“That would be great. I’m starting to miss adult conversation.”

“You’ll be back to work soon and then you’ll miss baby talk too.”

“Oh, don’t say that. I don’t want to leave him yet.”

Emma took a bite of her sandwich. “Alright. I’m all ears, what’s on your mind. I promise, no baby talk.”

They had a nice lunch, David only had one little fit while she was there and that’s because Mary Margaret tried to feed him peas. He did not like peas. She had to give him a little bath but that made him sleepy so he went right down for his nap.

She left so that Mary Margaret could take a nap too. She promised she’d be back to see them soon.

She had a check to pick up and another friend to see. She was curious about what Elsa needed help with. She’d been assisting her with case work for the past few months here and there when the department needed it.

She liked working on her own but it wasn’t bad working with them sometimes too. She and Killian were thinking about getting a bigger place together so the extra case work income was nice. At the very least they were going to move to an apartment that they could furnish themselves.

The thought of planting roots still scared her from time to time but he certainly made things easier for her. They were so alike, sometimes it seemed like he could read her mind. He always seemed to know what to say.

It had been awhile since they’d worked together. The lack of fires was good for the city but there wasn’t really any work she could pick up with them. Their life had been normal since the arsonist adventure. It was actually very nice. She had a home with Killian, a fairly steady job and her friends too. She couldn’t remember a time in her life that was ever this good.

She pulled into the familiar station parking lot and took a spot in the visitor’s section. She grabbed her bag and head in to the desk. “Hey Emma, I heard you would be coming in.” called Belle.

Belle was doing surprisingly well after everything that had happened. “Good, glad Humbert actually told you this time.” she said.

“It was actually the new rookie that told me.” Said Belle.

“He seems like a good kid.”

“Oh he really is such a sweet guy. So green though.” Said Belle.

 “Well, they all start out fresh and green. Believe me I know.”

“I’ll be right back, just sign here ok?”

She signed the signature line on the paperwork and stood in the lobby area waiting. Two detectives were passing through while she waited. They seemed to be having a serious conversation. She listened in a bit closer and heard them mention a couple of missing girls before Belle reappeared.

“Here you go Emma. Thank you as always.”

Ever inquisitive she decided to ask about it. “Hey Belle, what’s going on with the missing girls?”

Belle looked over at the detectives and then back to Emma. “I don’t know much about it. It seems that over the past two weeks a few girls have disappeared. Very similar circumstances, both single, both waitresses, last seen leaving work but neither made it home.”  

“That is strange. Any leads?”

“Not yet, they are just putting together the pattern. They just got the news of the second girl this morning. I don’t even know why I’m telling you this. They are trying to keep the information under wraps until they decide if it’s a coincidence or a serial kidnapper. They don’t want to alarm everyone in town.” Whispered Belle.

Emma nodded. “Thanks for the check.”

Belle smiled. “No problem. I’ll see you soon. Take care of yourself.”

“You too Belle.”

Emma couldn’t help but look back over at the two detectives talking as she left. She hoped that maybe it was just a coincidence but if that was in fact a pattern they needed to find out who was doing it and fast. She’d definitely be looking into this further regardless of what they found.


	2. Ch 2: The Blind Shuffle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thank you to all of you lovely readers who followed the new story. I appreciate your nice comments and hope you like what is to come. I’m hoping to release a chapter per week, it could be more if time permits. This week was a little challenging because I re-wrote this chapter a few times. The mystery is just beginning!

Ch.2

The smell of smoke was still heavy from the burning junker car they’d burned earlier. The squad had been running drills and testing the probies on their skills. Killian surveyed the training yard with a sense of pride for his squad. Their new probies were doing great. With the downtime they’d actually been able to train properly, not just in the throes of a raging fire. He caught Anna working hard on her ladder skills to the right of him. She was really starting to get it and he noticed the other guys seeing it too. She’d even beat Jeff in one of the races.

They were a tight knit group, a family of sorts, so he felt it was really important that they trusted one another. Robin had the other guys running drills with the hoses while he watched the team running the ladders.

“Hey Jones! We need more hose over here. Make yourself useful would ya and grab some!” called Wil.

He shook his head and turned to go back into the station to pick up an extension of hose. He loved getting under his skin. Although Wil had a rough start, he seemed to have had a switch flip in his head because he was really showing progress. That didn’t mean he’d given up the sorority girls or partying but he’d been doing a better job of getting to work on time every day.

He got Robin’s confirmation that he’d watch over both teams. He quickly ran into the station towards the closet for hoses but was deterred when he noticed David sleeping on his desk through his office window. He stopped, quietly entered, stood behind him and shook him.

David quickly startled awake. “Ah, I’ll get him. I’ll get the bottle.”

Killian laughed. “Rough night with the wee one Mate?”

David smiled and nodded. “He hasn’t been sleeping very well. Mary Margaret and I have been taking turns getting up with him. Don’t tell her you caught me napping, she won’t let me help her if she knew.”

He winked. “No worries. You’re secret’s safe with me.“

David squeezed the bridge of his nose and rubbed his eyes. “David is such a blessing to us and I would never complain but when new parents tell you they are tired they are not exaggerating. It’s brutal.”

Killian clapped his hand on his friend’s shoulder. ”It will pass. He can’t go on like that forever.”

David laughed. “I sure hope not. How’s it going out there today? I was planning on coming out after I finished these reports.”

He smiled.” It’s going great. There’s been real progress made with the whole crew. They are really working hard out there.”

“I’m so glad to hear it.”

“Speaking of that I need to get back out there. The guys are waiting for extra hose for the drills.”

“Alright, thanks for the wakeup call. I’ll join you guys shortly.”

Killian nodded “Grab yourself a coffee first!” He picked up 2 lengths of hose and carried them over to Robin. “Appreciate it Mate. They really look good don’t they?”

“Aye, even Scarlett.”

Wil ran up towards them to grab the hose. ”Bout time mate. What’d ya do stop for donuts?”

“We both know you stuffed the last of them in your face this morning when you thought we weren’t looking. Don’t put that on me mate.” A look of guilt washed over Wil’s face and seemed to shut him up. Killian laughed. “Get back to work!”

Wil smiled and carried the hose back to his team. Robin folded his arms in front of him. “So, you catch Nolan sleeping?”

Killian nodded. “Aye, seems the new parents aren’t getting much sleep.”

Robin had a thoughtful grin on his face. “I remember those nights with Roland when he was a baby. Marian and I were so sleep deprived that we barely remembered the events of the day. Everything was about the baby until one day he finally slept through the night. While it was brutal, I wouldn’t change a thing. He is the best kid and I know his mother loved him deeply. God rest her soul.”

Killian grabbed his friend’s shoulder. “Hopefully someday I’ll get to experience that. Not the sleep deprivation but the child part.”

Robin turned to face him and nodded. “Good for you mate. I hope you get that someday.”

“What do you think time for one more drill?” asked Robin.

“Yeah, let’s round them up.” Said Killlian.

They had another emergency free day, with the exception of an old cat stuck in a tree again down by Mrs. Dunbar’s house. Anna begged him to let her drive the truck. He was her designated co-driver since she managed to scare the hell out of the rest of the squad as she bent corners.  It seemed he was the only one with the constitution to drive with her and he could hardly say no to her, she really was improving. With a few minor scares she did well. When he returned to the station he noticed he had a text from Emma.

_E: Hey, care to join me for a drink at Happy’s Tavern?_

He’d been planning to surprise her with a romantic evening but he could improvise, although he did find it odd that she wanted to hang out at the cop bar but knowing Emma she was looking for something or someone there.  

_K: I’m almost through here. Meet you in 30 minutes._

_E: See you then!_

“That from Emma? She’s so nice. I could tell because you were smiling. Will she be coming back to work with us any time soon? I know my sister speaks so highly of her and the help she’s been giving her on cases.” rambled Anna.

Killian smiled.” I’m sure she’d love to help us if we had something come up. Perhaps you and Kristoff could join us sometime for a drink. I know she thinks well of you both too.”

Anna smiled. “Aww, Kristoff would love that. OK, I’ll let you know. I better get back out there before Jeff comes to find me.  He’ll make me load the hoses myself. Thanks for driving with me.”  

Killian nodded. “Of course, you’re doing great. It just takes practice.”

She nodded and quickly ran out as she heard Jeff calling.

Wil popped up behind him. ”See you made it back in one piece. You’re a brave one aren’t ya?”

“Give the lass a break. She’s doing much better.”

“Oi, I guess. Whatcha doing after?” asked Wil.

He looked down at his phone and caught the time. “Heading over to Happy’s to meet Emma for a drink.” 

Wil grinned. “Mind giving me a lift to The Hole on yer way? It’s Sorority night.”

“Sure, just be ready in 20 minutes.”

He rubbed his hands together and grinned. “No problem. I’ll be ready in 19.”

Killian shook his head and thought about how he used to be so like him.   

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Emma had been looking forward to a quiet evening at home with Killian but after hearing about the missing girls she felt she needed to do something. The cops at the station were not going to fill her in so she decided to find a place where cops might have looser lips. If in fact this was a serial kid napper she wanted to help, she just needed a few details.

Happy’s Tavern was a hot bed for the law enforcement in town. She figured if she got there during Blue Hour, a special happy hour for police officers, she might be able to get more information.

She surveyed the bar when she walked in looking for familiar faces. She was hoping to run into the two that she saw talking at the station earlier but they weren’t there. She scouted for a seat close enough to gather information but not close enough to make anyone think she wanted company. She found the perfect stool at the bar near a group of cops that appeared to be in deep conversation. Some were from her town and others from the town over.

They knew who she was so they didn’t scoff at her not wearing a badge. Happy also still gave her the blue hour rate for her drinks.   

“Hey Emma, what can I get ya?” asked Happy.

“I’ll take a scotch, neat.”

“Coming right up.”

She checked her watch and expected Killian would arrive within ten minutes. She picked up her drink and took a sip while listening intently. This wasn’t her favorite method for gathering information but she’d rather hear it from the source.

She heard bits and pieces about sports teams, lunch spots and finally one of them mentioned the case. It seems that a girl went missing from a local sorority, her friend came by that night asking for help and she went missing the following day. No other girls had gone missing since but they still didn’t have a lead as to where the girls were and it’d been almost 36 hours since the first girl was reported.

She shook her head and took another sip of the warm amber liquid. Her nerves were still pinging from the earlier take down.  She felt a warm hand on her shoulder. She smiled and turned quickly frowning when she realized it wasn’t Killian.

“Buy me a drink Swan?” asked Humbert.

She pushed his hand off of her shoulder, pursed her lips and let out a soft breath. “Why would I do that?”

He grinned. “Well, I did assist you with that thug earlier.”

“Hmm, as I recall it was your partner that picked up the guys I already had subdued on the ground and put him into the car as you stood there watching. So technically I owe him a drink.” Challenged Emma.

Humbert brushed against her towards the bowl of peanuts in front of her, grabbed a handful and popped them into his mouth before signaling to Happy. He turned to say something but the door caught both of their attention. Thankfully it was Killian.

“Too bad you had to invite the sea dog. Maybe next time.”

“Not likely.”

Humbert tipped his head and meandered over to the group of cops sitting at the far corner of the bar.

Killian leaned down, kissed her softly and whispered into her ear. “Hello Love, don’t tell me he was bothering you again.”

“Same old Humbert. Have a seat.”

Happy appeared immediately. “What can I getcha?”

“Shot of Rum.”

Happy smiled. “Coming up.”

Killian picked up a nut and gave her a knowing smile. “So, what made you decide on Happy’s?”

Of course he’d know she was up to something. “You know me too well.” She leaned in closer to him and whispered. “I was at the station today and I heard about two missing girls. They weren’t offering any information so I thought I’d try listening in here.”     

“So, how’s it going so far?”

She laughed. “Well, I got a little more information to go on. It appears they were both sorority girls.”

“Perhaps we should go to a different bar?”

She tilted her head to the side. “What do you mean?”

“I dropped Scarlett off at the Hole. Sorority Night. Perhaps we might get some information there? ”

She leaned over and kissed him. “You’re a genius. Let’s go.”

He gave her a proud grin before slipping payment on the bar. He quickly took back his shot and placed the glass on the bar. He gently touched Emma’s back as they moved towards the door giving Humbert a wink as they exited. He’d be lying if it didn’t give him joy to see Humbert grit his teeth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The pair entered The Hole, the music was blaring and the bar was full of co-eds. Emma turned to Killian and shook her head. “Where do we start?” she shouted hopeful he could hear her.

“You go that way, I’ll go this way and we’ll look for Scarlett.” He shouted back.

She nodded, kissed his cheek and moved into the crowd. As she made her way through the crowd she looked at all the happy faces and couldn’t help but worry that one of them could be next.  She’d reached the back wall near the bathrooms without finding Scarlet. She turned to head back when she ran right into him. “Oi, aren’t you supposed to be at Happy’s?”

“I was, we came here to find you. Come on let’s find Killian.” She shouted towards his ear.

He nodded and pointed to the other corner. “I’ve got to go to the Loo, meet ya in that corner booth in back.”

She nodded and moved to find Killian.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The darkness in the room was overwhelming with the exception of a small crack of light coming in from above the door where the seams didn’t meet properly. “Ti, are you alright? Ti can you hear me?” asked a soft voice.

She was a little groggy from whatever they did to her and her throat was a little sore. Her wrists were bound to a chair with twist ties and they were cutting in. “I’m ok Lottie? Are you alright? Where are we?”

“I’m ok. I’m just so scared. I don’t know where we are and I don’t recognize the voices.” She said in a shaky southern voice.

“Do you know what they want?” asked Tiana.

“No, No. I just want to go home Ti. Big Daddy must be worried sick. Why didn’t you go to the police?” asked Lottie.

“Of course I went to the police Lottie! As soon as you didn’t show up at curfew I went looking for you. I knew there was no way you wouldn’t show up on time since you had 2 warnings already. I waited about an hour past, dialed your phone about 25 times and finally I head over to the station. They told me that since you hadn’t been gone 24 hours I couldn’t file a report. I gave them my information and told them I’d be calling first thing in the morning. When I got back to the sorority house I saw Meg stumbling in the back door trying to be quiet.”

“I lost her at the party after I started playing games in the back of the house. Oh Ti, I’m so sorry. Why did you come looking for me? Now we’re both in this mess.”

“Charlotte LaBouff, we’ve been friends since we could walk, do you think I wouldn’t come looking for you? I just thought maybe you’d be snuggling with one of the boys at the frat house, like the last time I found you.”

The sound of creaking above them sent a shock through her body. “They’re coming.” Whimpered Lottie.

“It’s going to be alright. We’re going to be fine.” She hoped those words were true. She kept struggling against the zip ties on her wrists hoping she could break free. Someone would find them, they just had to.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	3. Ch. 3 Find the Lady

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello Lovely Readers! I am hoping to deliver one chapter per week, sometimes more depending on my time for writing. Sorry for the delay on this one, I had a bit of a cold so it fogged me over. We are getting into more of the mystery and a little fun with our favorite OTP. As always I look forward to your comments and questions.

 

Ch. 3

As she wove through the sweaty crowd she finally caught sight of her favorite pair of blue eyes and the handsome man that they belonged to. She maneuvered her way through the bouncing bodies towards him. He smiled, pulled her into his arms and began swaying to the music with her. She hesitated at first but he shook his head so she went with it.  

The feeling of his body so close to her reminded her of what her original plans were for the evening. She leaned in and caught his scent. He was a mixture of spice and salt that she came to love. His hands caressed her back as he held her close to keep her distant from the crowd around them.

She pressed her cheek to his chest and let him move her while she took a break from the other reality for just a minute. She felt his lips press to the top of her head and she relaxed even more. It was amazing how easily he could calm her.

That was a fleeting moment though as Wil caught up to them and tapped her shoulder. “Oi, lovebirds I’m in the back corner.” He shouted above the loud music.

She looked into Killian’s kind eyes and smiled. He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her lips before taking her hand to guide her in Wil’s direction.

When they arrived there were two girls sitting on one side of the booth and one on the other with Wil. The girls were wearing matching sweaters adorned with their sorority insignia.  They were laughing and giggling with Wil. Killian caught Wil’s attention and he stood. “Girls, I’d like to introduce you to me mates, this is Jones and Emma. What’d I do to deserve this visit? Am I in trouble?”

Emma smiled and waved at the two girls signaling for them to move over so she could sit with them. Killian slipped in next to Wil across from her and spoke to Wil. Luckily the DJ quieted for a break giving her ears some relief. “Hi Girls, I was hoping you’d be able to help me. Have any of you heard about a couple of missing sorority girls?”

The girl to her right spoke up first. “Campus police issued a statement this morning letting us know to be careful and not to go off with strangers.”

The girl across added.” I saw some flyers posted on campus about the missing girls. The Kappa Delta girls made them hoping to find their sisters.”

“Should we be worried? Do you think something bad happened to them?” asked the first girl.

“We don’t know much about what happened yet but you should listen to Campus police if they’ve given you warnings.” Said Killian.

“Do any of you know the girls or happen to have one of the flyers?” asked Emma.

The girls shook their heads in unison. “You can get one from Kappa Delta or pull one from the campus bulletin boards. They are hung all over.” Said the first girl.

“Alright, I appreciate your help. We’ll check it out.” Said Emma.

“Wil, see to it these girls make it home safe.” Said Killian.

Wil grinned and nodded. “I’ll see to it, dontcha worry about that.”

The girls all started giggling again as Wil slipped his arm around the girl closest to him and pulled her closer. “Safe with me.” He said.

Killian laughed. “Sure about that mate?”

Wil smirked. “Oi.”  

Emma stood and motioned to Killian towards the door with her eyes. He followed her lead and stood, slipping his hand in hers. She led him through the crowd towards the door and their freedom from the hot pub.

The temperature change was immediate and it felt good to be in the fresh night air. “Well, I’ve got one lead. I’ll check at the university tomorrow.”

“Be careful on this one Love. We don’t know why they’ve gone missing.”

She smiled softly at his concern. “You know me, I’m just going to check it out. Hopefully it’s nothing and they’ve just been partying somewhere.”

He looked down at their joined hands. “What do you say we walk home Love?”

Emma smiled and slipped her arm around his back snuggling into his side. “Sounds good. We can just grab our cars in the morning.”

He wrapped his arm around her and smiled as they made the short walk to their building. It wasn’t that long ago that he walked her home the first time, now they lived together. Things may have moved fast but she wouldn’t change a thing.

They got to the elevator and he ushered her in, being the gentleman that he always was but she noticed that devilish look in his eye. It was her favorite look, the one that sent a stream of warmth all over her body.

She looped her arm through his and placed her head on his shoulder, already missing their contact, as they quietly rode the floors up. All she could think about was getting him out of those jeans and into her. She smiled to herself at the thoughts rolling in her mind.

The bell rang and they walked casually towards their apartment. He smiled as he unlocked the door and once again allowed her to go in before him. This time it was him, he tugged her back quickly into his arms and pulled her in for a searing kiss. She sighed in relief when she broke free. “Were you reading my mind?”

“Oh Love, I’ve wanted nothing more than to get you home since our dance at the pub.”

“Say no more.” She started popping open his buttons slowly as he slipped his hands under her shirt carefully caressing her lace clad breasts. She leaned into his touch and lifted her chin to capture his lips. He was such a good kisser, she couldn’t get enough of him. “On the couch.” She said quickly moving them backward. She lifted her shirt above her head and tossed it to the floor as he stepped backward dropping his pants to the floor.

She pushed him on the couch and stepped out of her own jeans before sliding on top of him.

He laughed softly and brushed her hair over her shoulder. “I love when you’re like this.”

“I can’t help myself when I’m with you.” She growled before diving back towards his lips. She felt his warm hands slid down her back and towards her hips as he pulled her closer letting her feel how excited he was. A surge of warmth washed over her as she deepened her kiss.  He leaned up letting his tongue tangle with hers as he slipped his thumbs in the sides of her panties pulling them down exposing more of her body.

In one swift move he rolled her onto her back taking over her position on top. She let out a breath and returned the favor sliding down his briefs to expose him. She took him in hand and stroked slowly. “Mmm, you’re ready for me.”

He exhaled as she massaged his hardening length. He relished in her touch before slipping one finger into her warmth. “Seems you are too.”

She closed her eyes as he curled his finger inside of her, tantalizing her with each touch. When she couldn’t take it anymore she carefully positioned her legs on each side of him allowing him access to slip into her in one fluid motion. She moaned as he filled her. “You feel so good.”

He stilled taking a moment to let the sensation wash over her. “I’ve been thinking about being inside of you all day.” He leaned forward capturing her lips and thrust into her deeply.

“Oh God.” she moaned against his shoulder before nipping with her teeth.

He leaned up and then dove in for a deep kiss as he thrust again. “Oh.” She purred. She felt him grin against her lips as he thrust again. She chased his lips nipping at the bottom as he sped up the pace gliding into her. He held her in place carefully swirling his hips back and forth as he slid in and out rubbing against her sensitive nub in each time. The man was truly gifted and she was soaring higher and higher with each thrust letting the waves of pleasure take over her mind.

She slid her hands over his taught arse to assist in the pushing and pulling as her hips met his helping him catch up to her.  A subtle change of position and suddenly she was falling over the edge in pleasure. Her breath caught for a moment before she screamed out his name as the warm waves took over. “Killian.”  That was all he needed to find his own pleasure as he came deeply in her “Oh oh, Yes!”  finally falling softly on top of her after.

She breathed heavily against his shoulder smiling and laughed softly. “I really needed that.”

He kissed her gently as he looked into her gleaming eyes. “Aye, me as well.” She slid towards one side of the couch leaving enough room for him to slide next to her. He leaned up on his elbow to look at her. His brow was sweaty and his grin was sloppy.

She draped her arm over his waist and slid her body closer to him meeting her hips to his. “You’re amazing. What was that move you were doing? The swirling thing?”

He laughed. “A man’s got to have some secrets love. I’m glad you liked it.”

“Oh yeah, it was good. Very good.”

He grinned looking very pleased with himself. She was about to suggest round two when they heard an unexpected knock at their door.  She looked to the door and then back to confused expression.“Were you expecting someone?”

“No, maybe it’s Scarlet, too drunk to go home again.” He whispered.

“You could be right, remember how drunk he was last week?” she whispered. The door knocked again. “Who is it?” called Emma.

“Hey Emma, it’s me, your neighbor Nairobi. Can we talk?”

She sat up and quickly grabbed for her clothes. “Just a minute.” She called.

Each of them pulled on as many clothes as they could to get decent and pushed the rest under the couch. Emma turned to face him. “Am I decent?”

He leaned forward and kissed her gently. “Aye.”

She wiped at his sweaty brow and slid her hand on her jeans. He noticed her tag hanging out the back of her inside out shirt but she’d already opened the door. He quickly moved to stand next to her covering it with his hand gently.

Nairobi appeared to have come from work as she was wearing a navy blue business suit and carrying her briefcase. Her expression held a look of despair. “Is everything alright? Come in, sorry about that.”

Emma looked at Killian searching for more to answer but just left it at that when his expression was blank too.

She looked to the couch and then to Killian realizing they couldn’t offer her a seat there right now after what they’d just done. He seemed to understand. “How about a drink?” asked Killian ushering her to the kitchen.

“Thank you, I could use one.” Said their distressed friend.

“What’s going on?” asked Emma.

Nairobi ran her fingers through her hair and sighed. “My cousin Tiana went missing.”

“Oh No, Your cousin?” asked Emma as she turned towards Killian who was pouring the wine into glasses.

He gave her a look of understanding and continued to prepare their drinks.

“Yes, Tiana and her friend Lottie went missing. My Aunties are worried sick.”

“Are they sorority girls by chance?” asked Killian.

She looked up. “Yes, have you heard anything about them? I’d be so grateful for any news.”

Emma pulled out a stool to offer her friend a seat. “I overheard that some girls went missing today when I was at the station. We found out tonight that they were sorority girls. I had no idea who they were until you just mentioned their names, let alone that one of them was your cousin. ”

Nairobi took the glass from Killian and took a sip.  “Yes, both the girls are in a sorority together, Kappa Delta. They’ve known each other since they were small children.”

“What makes you think they were taken? Was there trouble on campus or was someone threatening them?” asked Emma.

“No, nothing like that, not that I’m aware of. It was because well, Tiana calls our grandmother every day. Mama Odi raised Tiana after her parents passed and they are very close. When Ti didn’t call her she got worried and called me. I didn’t really think there would be anything wrong, I mean she’s a grown woman in college. People get busy you know but Mama was insistent that I go over there and check for her.” Said Nairobi.

“Ok, what did you find when you went to campus?” asked Emma.

“The House mother answered the door, she said that neither girl had been home. She said they’d broken house rules by not leaving a note or coming home and that when I did find them to let them know they had a warning.”

“So it was typical to leave a note if they would be out all night or they needed to be home at a certain time.” Asked Emma.

“Yes, but Tiana is not that kind of girl. She’d never stay out all night and especially without a note, coupled with the fact that she didn’t call Mama at the regular time there is something wrong.”

“Did you talk to any of the other girls?” asked Emma.

“I spoke to a couple of the sisters. One of them told me that neither Lottie nor Tiana had been there last night and for that matter she wasn’t sure about the night before.”

Emma scratched her head. “Did she have any idea where they might be?”

“That girl didn’t know anything but one of the other sisters came up and said she’d seen Tiana frantically worried about Lottie. She said she went to go look for her when she didn’t make curfew.”

“So they have a curfew too?” asked Killian.

“The girl’s house mother gives them a strict curfew, hence the note. No boys allowed either.”

“I decided that I needed to check further into this since no one seemed to know where Tiana was or Lottie after questioning a few more. One girl remembered seeing them leave for a party but that was it.”

“Do you have the girl’s name that mentioned the party?” asked Emma.

“No, she didn’t tell me. She was a blonde like Lottie, maybe Ashley. After seeing how alarmed the other girl was I decided to go to the police. This just didn’t seem right to me.”

“What happened then?” asked Emma.

Nairobi took a sip of her wine before continuing. “I found out Tiana had been in to the station to report her friend Lottie missing. They turned her away because she’d only been missing a few hours and they don’t investigate until it’s been 24 hours. The officer remembered her because she seemed so sure there was trouble, when she checked the log she found her name.”

Emma shook her head. “So Tiana had been worried about Lottie. Do you think she’d go looking for her?”

“Of course, those girls are joined at the hip. If Tiana was worried enough to go to the police then something bad must have happened.”

Emma shook her head. “Did the police tell you anything more? Are they actively investigating?”

“I keep checking in with them but they don’t have any leads and I’m getting worried as is my family. Actually, that is why I’m here.”

Emma stood listening intently. “Oh OK. What can we do?”

“My family and I would like to hire you to help us find the girls.” Said Nairobi.

Emma shook her head and held up her hand. “I’m happy to help try and track them down, but I couldn’t accept money from you.”

“Emma, it could be dangerous and I can’t ask that of you. I know this is what you do so please let us pay you?” Said Nairobi.

Emma looked to Killian and back to her friend. “When I heard about the girls missing it set off a red flag for me. I was already planning to look into this. I’m happy to do this, besides you are my friend.”

A knock at the door distracted them all. “That would be Greta. I left her a note letting her know I’d be here. She’s been away on business and rushed home as soon as she heard the news.”

Greta was Nairobi’s partner. They’d been married for a few years. Emma nodded and opened the door. “Hi Emma, is Nairobi still, Oh thank goodness.” Said Greta as she walked into Nairobi’s arms to comfort her.

“When I got home and you weren’t there I was afraid you’d done something stupid. Thank you for leaving a note. I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you found out.” Said Greta.

Nairobi hugged her tightly. “I’m just glad you’re here now.  Mama and Auntie really want us to stay with them. They are worried sick. Emma’s going to help us find the girls.”

Killian came up behind her and slipped his arm over her shoulders squeezing her into his side. Emma smiled.

 “Tiana is a good girl and so is Lottie, in spite of her spoiled ways. They are good hearted and very active in their sorority. They like to have fun but Tiana is also very serious about her academics. I just can’t imagine who would do this to them.” Said Greta.

Nairobi suddenly seemed sad.” Tiana wants to open a restaurant someday and she’s been working hard to earn a business degree. She’s doing it for her parents.”

Greta comforted her. “I just can’t imagine that someone would do this.”

“At first I thought maybe it was just some stupid adventure that Lottie dragged her on because she’s done it before.” Said Nairobi.

“Wait, so they’ve gone missing before?” asked Emma.

“No, not like this and never without contacting our grandmother for this long. But, yes Lottie has dragged Ti on some adventures. She’s got a trust fund and a rich Daddy.” Said Nairobi.

Emma tilted her head in surprise. “Lottie’s father is rich?”

“Yes, she calls him Big Daddy. Lottie herself has a trust fund on top of it.” Said Greta.

“Have you spoken with him?” asked Emma.

Nairobi shook her head. “No, after I learned that nothing had been learned I came here. He hasn’t called me either, I wonder if he knows.”

“Usually the police will reach out to the family when someone is reported missing.” Said Killian.

Greta rubbed Nairobi’s shoulder lightly. “You have to find them Emma.”

“I’ll start investigating in the morning. Having you hire me, although I will not be taking money, will help me with the cops when I start asking questions, since I will be on official business. The police are also looking into this so it won’t be just me.” Said Emma.

“Can you give me a list of contacts that I can reach out to find out what they know?” asked Emma.

“Please stop by to see my grandmother tomorrow she can help you with any information you need. She and Auntie don’t drive anymore. I don’t see my little cousin as often as I should but Mama knows everything about her little girl from their daily talks. She also knows how to get in touch with Lottie’s Father.”

Nairobi pulled a sheet of paper and pen from her briefcase. She quickly jotted down the contact information and handed the slip of paper to her. “Here is Mama’s address. Thank you Emma.”

Emma looked at the sheet with the names and address for Mama Odi and Auntie Yzma. “OK, I know where this is.” She said.

Nairobi slipped her hand into Greta’s. “I know you must be tired.”

Greta sighed. “I’m fine. Let’s get you home so you can relax.”

“I’ll let you know if I find anything.” Said Emma.

Nairobi let out a soft smile. “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”

Killian closed and locked the door behind them. “Well it seems the case has found you.”

She slid her hand through her hair. “Yes, it has.”

 

 

 

 


End file.
